Gilbert Wants Fish
by ZombieCatTookMyPudding
Summary: Caillou and his mom are leaving for the day...giving Gilbert plenty of time to try slapstick-ready attempts to obtain Clementine's pet fish for a snack.
1. Chapter 1

Grabbing a stool by the fish tank placed on his dresser drawers in his room, Caillou placed some of the food in Goldie's bowl. His friend, Clementine, and her family were away on a vacation, and she didn't have anyone else to watch her pet goldfish for her. Stepping down, he noticed the gray tabby with an unusual blue spot over his eye.

"Meow," he greeted him casually.

"Now, Gilbert, we'll be gone for a while," Caillou began, pointing a finger sternly. "Don't try _anything funny_ to get this fish!" He grabbed a lid and placed it over the bowl, firmly holding the top in place. "You already have plenty of yummy cat food in your bowl. And you'll be in big, _big_ trouble if that fish is gone by the time we get back!"

"Caillou!"

"Coming, Mommy!" He quickly pulled his shoes on. "Behave yourself," he finished, glaring at the cat before he ran from the room. Gilbert had listened carefully to his owner's steps down the stairs, and finally the front door closing. Positive he was alone, he stretched, and used the stool leverage to get a good look at the fish:

It was rather big for a goldfish. It was clear Clementine kept it well-fed. He licked his lips in anticipation. Whatever punishment Caillou had in store for him, he was sure it was worth it. After all, he couldn't think of much things worse than eating those _disgusting_ pellets his humans left for him.

The fish scurried for cover behind the small castle in its tank as Gilbert tried to claw at the top. Well, to Caillou's credit, it looks like he had really gotten that lid on tight! It would have to take some more _extreme_ measures to open it.

Eyeing the curtain rod above him, Gilbert first leaped on Caillou's bed, and worked up momentum by jumping on the bed until he could reach it. The impact he made caused it, along with the curtains and blinds, to fall down to the floor, creating a messy pile on top of him. No less determined to get the fish, he shook himself. Clenching the heavy rod between his teeth, he attempted to use it to break the bowl open. But it weighed more than he could handle, so he only mustered the strength in his neck to hit the dresser drawers. His best result was knocking over that bird lamp, which fell down on top of him, giving him quite a shock...literally.

Cartoonish singe marks covered him. Coughing, he flattened his ears in annoyance: that stupid fish was looking down at him...taunting him almost. Stalking from the room, Gilbert decided to go and groom himself, and come back with a new plan later.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**

 **So I finally decide to come back to this. It's one of the fanfics I knew I wanted to start, and knew how to finish, but I just needed a middle. Thank you for your patience as I pull ideas out my butt.**

* * *

Caillou's parents' room was one of Gilbert's favorite places for privacy while they were gone. Sure, there was also the treehouse outside, but all of the windows were closed, reducing his options to the indoors.

Licking the singe marks off, something under the bed caught his attention. Pawing the object out to get a better look at it, he found Caillou's mom's knitting kit! And where there was a knitting kit, there was sure to be yarn! Playing with yarn was when he got his best ideas.

Leaping onto the large red ball not too far from it, he tumbled with and chased it around the room, but stopped when one of his paws started to feel uncomfortable. Turns out that there was a knotted loop that had gotten stuck around it. No matter, he could easily use his sharp teeth to free himself. Squinting at the loop, he suddenly knew what he was going to do to get that fish!

Tying a loop with yarn is much harder if you don't have opposable thumbs, but Gilbert managed. Cutting it loose, Gilbert returned to Caillou's room with renewed determination!

The goldfish swam to the front of the tank, bubbling curiously. Gilbert rolled his head around until he could get his lasso into the air. All he needed to do now was throw his head forward and...toss!

Whoops! That was Caillou's bedpost; he needed to try again. Untangling it, he tried again from the bed. Counting down from three in his head, he threw his head forward and tossed!

"MROWR!" Unfortunately the result was him lassoing the doorknob and pulling him to the ground instead. Good thing cats always land on their feet!

Taking an impatient sigh, he got it down from the door, stood in front of the dresser that had the stupid tank with the stupid fish, rolled his head and neck one more time...yes! He got it! And it was a perfect fit around the tank, too. Triumphantly, he pulled the whole tank down with a single tug...which landed on his head and knocked him unconscious.


	3. Chapter 3

When Gilbert woke up again, he found the goldfish tank in front of him, its inhabitant swimming in circles. Rising to his paws and shaking himself, he found that his victory was so close, he could nearly taste it...literally. The only thing that stood in his way was the lid that kept the fish from him.

Carefully lining his claws up with the line, Gilbert tried to pry the lid open. Emphasis on " _tried_ ". He had nearly broken a claw trying to separate it from the rest of the tank. Well, that was certainly on tight! Looks like he would need to find something with more power to help him.

Searching through Caillou's toybox wasn't much help, and there was nothing in his parents' or Rosie's room that would do the job either. Think, Gilbert, think!

Gilbert brushed his tail against his growling stomach, he realized he couldn't. He was far too hungry. Should he just give up the fish he planned to use for his tiny feast for a bland, barely filling bowl of pellets?

Ears flattened, he slowly walked from the room, his pawsteps light.

* * *

Looking down into his food bowl, Gilbert shuddered at the sharp smell. He couldn't eat it. He just couldn't. But...he was so hungry...

Wait! A glimmer caught his eye! The sun through the window was shining on the garage doorknob. Perhaps there was still hope yet!

Scrunching up beneath the knob, he bent his knees and leapt to his hind feet.

 _Bonk!_

Ouch! That hit him on the head hard! Shaking it, he decided to try again. Standing up a bit slower, trekking his front paws up the door, he managed to touch it, but oh! The round shape was so slippery he just, he simply couldn't get it to turn! Poo!

 _Creak..._

Wait, what was this? The door wasn't all the way closed! Perhaps...if he just managed to reach his paw under there...oh, yes! He got it! Now, just to carefully pull back...huzzah! The door is now open! Holding his head up proudly, he trotted down the small set of stairs. The only light came from the sunlight that peeked through the edges of the garage door, but with Gilbert's feline night-vision, a little bit of light was all he needed. All the better since there were no cars in the garage; nothing could stop him from reaching Caillou's father's tool wall! Surely _something_ there would help him!

Let's see...there was a wrench, a hammer...a few pairs of pliers, a couple rolls of duct tape, various screwdrivers...aha, what was this? A crowbar! Perfect! Now, all he needed to do was get it down from its spot.

Gripping the curved metal bar between his teeth, Gilbert moved his head from side to side, trying to loosen it from the hook that kept it in its place, one of the screwdrivers slipped free and hit him in the rump! Ouch! Nevertheless, he was still determined to get it down. Moving it in the other direction, a roll of duct tape plunked itself onto Gilbert's head. That didn't hurt as much, but that was certainly annoying. Shaking himself free of it, he paced back and forth, trying to get it free, but only the rest of the tools were falling one by one, either hitting him or barely missing him.

Suddenly getting an idea, he jumped up and lifted his head simultaneously. That did the trick! He now had a crowbar in his possession.

 _Creaaak…_

Uh-oh.

Gilbert tried to run, but it was too late: the empty tool wall fell down on him.


End file.
